This weekend is akin to spring break for guys - it's mostly dudes - in Las Vegas (and Reno), when thousands of avid sports fans gather for a bacchanal of betting, boozing and bingeing on basketball.

"March Madness is like a long bachelor party, and groups of four or five guys are together morning, noon and night," said David Pemberton, director of specialty games for Caesars Palace.

During this first weekend of March Madness - the second and third rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament - games start early and run well into the night. You can emerge bleary-eyed or almost catatonic if you don't take care of yourself. So we asked a couple of Las Vegas veterans - Jay Rood, who manages the sports book at MGM, and Pemberton - how to survive 96 hours of college basketball during one of Vegas' most exciting weekends of the year. Here's their advice:

Pace yourself: "People go crazy the first night," Rood says. That's OK if it's just one game, like the Super Bowl, but during March Madness you need to think about getting up early the next day to secure good seats in the sports book. "Pace makes the race," he said.

Forgive yourself if you don't: "People try to pace themselves ... but it is impossible because it is like a kid being locked in a candy store for a weekend," Pemberton says. "The energy in the room is so electric and people get caught up in the frenzy."

Go with a group: The divide-and-conquer strategy works well: One guy can save seats in the sports book while another goes out for fresh air or breakfast. It's ideal to have at least three or four guys, Rood said.

Bet selectively: You don't have to bet most of the games, Rood said. If you have insight into a lesser-known team, you can make an informed bet. "Pick two, three or four games, then go enjoy everything else Vegas has to offer."

Parlays can pay off: With a parlay, you link several games and if you're right each time, you can win big. But chances of winning a six- or eight-team parlay are minuscule. Don't "put more than three teams together in a parlay," Pemberton said.

See the sights: Get outside, take a swim, check out the new High Roller Ferris wheel (it's not open yet, but you can see it rise 550 feet above the Strip) and enjoy a fine restaurant or show. "If you can make it to Sunday without getting sideways," Rood said, "you can enjoy all Las Vegas has to offer."